Rich culture, delicious food and stories from Afghanistan

08/14/2014

YOGURT, PERSIAN CUCUMBER AND MINT DIP

by Humaira

As a fifth grader in Kabul I had an allowance of one Afghani per day to buy a snack. Contrary to popular misconception, the Afghani doesn’t refer to a person, but to Afghanistan’s currency, and was worth about 10 cents at the time.

All my friends would use their allowance to buy special treats from the school canteen, but I would stop at the vegetable store on the way to school to purchase the largest cucumber I could afford. With school in session from March through November, the crunchy cucumbers with the small seeds had a cooling effect on me through the hot summer months -- I so looked forward to recess. In retrospect I must have been a strange child to pick a cucumber over candy, but I won’t go into self analysis in this posting.

Persian cucumbers remind me of the wonderful cucumber I used to covet as a child. They are thin, small and reliably crunchy. Peeled and cut into slivers they can be a great snack, a fun addition to a veggie platter and a healthy addition to the kids’ lunch bags. My kids love them.

Previously I could only find Persian cucumbers at Afghan or Persian grocery stores, but now Trader Joe’s and larger grocery stores carry them. Here is a recipe for an Afghan appetizer I created and brought to a friend’s party. There are few appetizers in the Afghan cuisine, so I served this recipe with pita chips.

Yogurt, Cucumber and Mint Dip

1 cup of plain yogurt (any type will work)

2 Persian cucumbers roughly chopped which makes around ½ cup

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dried mind or 2 tsp fresh mint

Pinch of dry ground garlic or tsp finely chopped garlic

Recipe can be doubled.

In a bowl mix all ingredients and stir thoroughly. You may adjust the salt and garlic to your taste. Serve with pita chips, sambosas, Bolani, or kebabs. I also love to serve it as a salad or side dish.

6 Comments

Hi Edna,
I am happy that you used my recipes for your book club. You sounds like me, always making more than necessary.

Yes, Afghan food freezes well. Things that don't freeze well is rice yogurt dishes. I place a sheet of parchment paper between each bolani before placing in a Ziploc bag. That you can pull one or a couple out. I put it in my toaster over and reheat it. It tastes fresh and delicious.

Hi! I love this dip! I made it for a "And the Mountains Echoed" book club, along with bolani, eggplant dip, fresh cheese, kebabs, and a few other recipes. I'm wondering if anything can be frozen and/or how long they will keep in the fridge. I made too much, as usual, and I don't want to waste it all. Thanks for your help!
Edna

I just found this site today and am thrilled.
I went to a Farmers Market in Newark on Sunday and
bought spinach bolani from the vendor you mentioned.
I sampled many of his spreads and was mad at myself when I got home that I didn't buy any.
I love to cook and wished I could make them myself.
They were truly delicious! So today I got on the internet and started looking for recipes. I found your site and plan to try the Roasted Eggplant Spread this week. Thank you for sharing so many
interesting recipes. I wish I knew you.